Saturday, September 27, 2008

It was vegan month here at the Daring Bakers land! The challenge was Lavash, a very thin flat bread, like crackers, and a vegan dip to go with it. Sweet or savory, hot or cold, pretty or ugly, but vegan!
My dip was so good I wanted to eat the spoon I tasted it with, so I decided to make lavash spoons, this way I could actually eat my spoons! The dough was very easy to work with and this was a really fun challenge!

LAVASH SPOONS

1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour

1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt

1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast

1 Tb (.75 oz) sugar

1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil

1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature

Chopped roasted salted peanuts to sprinkle

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, sugar, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

The windowpane test. Ok ok...

Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).
Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors. I've cut spoon shapes out of the dough.

Draw, cut and cut some more!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180ºC) with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle with the peanuts.

Looks promissing...

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Here they are! So what can we spoon with them?

I've been meaning to make homemade peanut butter for a long time, and I've been meaning to make homemade Nutella for a even longer time. (I even had this Zen recipebookmarked). I thought this was a good oportunity to make one of them, but since I couldn't decide which one to make, I've combined both and came up with my own version of Peanutella, a peanut-chocolate spread, or in this case, dip! I've based my recipe on Zen's but besides substituting hazelnuts for peanuts, I've changed a few more things.

PEANUTELLA

1 cup toasted peanuts

1/3 cocoa powder

1/4 + 1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 tbsp oil

I have a Magic Bullet, but if you don't have one you can do it in a food processor. First process the sugar until you have a fine powder. Remove, set aside and add the peanuts. Process until the peanuts start loosing their natural oil and start forming a paste. Add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Keep mixing and add oil little by little until you're happy with its consistency. Keep refrigerated.

Peanutella is my new favourite thing!

Dig in!

It's ok to double dip!

Let's get to the bottom of it!

Thanks Shel and Natalie, our wonderful hosts for this month! Head here for hundreds more of lavash and dips!

Amazing and brilliant--again! So do the spoons not break as you dip into the delicious looking peanutella? GREAT name and dip! Will you move to the US please, and Kansas preferreably, and be my neighbor. I'll give you a cookie if you give me one! ;)

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Ok..I was seriously laughing out loud when I read you have the Magic Bullet! I swear you must have EVERY kitchen gadget made to man!!!You are too funny! If they make it you have it!I love love love you spoons..always Miss creative!And the homeade peanutella..oh yes!!!

You must have the patience of a saint to have made those delightful lavash spoons. What a great idea! I think I'd like to make a sugar cookie spoon. If I do, I'll be sure to share the results with you.

Is there no end to your genius or creativity?! Seriously! I would have sooner woken up with my head sewn to the carpet than think of this!! You are too much. It looks great, and even though I didn't think it up, I may have to make mine like this and let people think I'm special.

Loss of words here!! :) Lavash is one thing, but spoon shaped Lavash!! Such a brilliant idea. I need to make a note for this - for my next dinner party! That is if I have the patience to cut up all the shapes. :D

Love your blog -- you are so creative. I developed a recipe for chocolate peanut butter for a contest I entered last year. It was so delish. But the spoons are totally unique and I love them! Here's my recipe -- it's at the end of the post:http://judyskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/Cheesecakes%20--%20Mocha%20Peanut%20Butter

I have to endure hospital and rehab center food while looking at this *sobbing*!! You're amazing, Rita, what a great idea, and PEANUTella..OMG, you know how I feel about peanut butter and chocolate. I would give my right leg for a bowl of that with those lavash spoons..Oh, wait..lol